This invention relates to a method for electropneumatic conversion. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for electropneumatic conversion employing the phenomenon that the pressure of the gas in a closed discharge chamber increases in consequence of the occurrence of corona discharge therein and the increased pressure falls, in consequence of the subsequent extinction of the corona discharge, back to the level existing before said corona discharge.
It is known that corona discharge occurs when the electric potential applied between two opposed electrodes in a gas is increased. It has been proposed to cool a part of said electrodes by using the ion storm which takes place in consequence of corona discharge (U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,497, for example).
The inventors pursued a further study on corona discharge. They have, consequently, discovered that when corona discharge is generated by applying a high electric potential between the two electrodes in a closed chamber, the pressure of the gas in the chamber increases in consequence of the corona discharge and the increased pressure falls, in consequence of the subsequent extinction of corona discharge, back to the level existing before said corona discharge. They have further ascertained that this phenomenon is much more powerful than the ion storm causable by corona discharge and takes place completely independently of the ion storm. The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of the discovery of this phenomenon.
The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a method for easily effecting electropneumatic conversion by virtue of the corona discharge which is caused by application of high electric potential.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for electropneumatic conversion which permits ready control of the rate of increase or decrease of gas pressure, as well as of the intensity of pressure applied.